Friday - My New Running Buddy

FRIDAY

This is Friday! She is the sweetest girl Weimaraner (yes, the same kind of dog as Harley). Her and I have been becoming best buds since I've been staying here at the Wiley's. Today Friday and I went for a run at Wildwood. She was awesome!! She let ME pick the pace and didn't pull me along!

Stephanie The Chemist

Clayton is taking a chemisty class online (because the Unversity of Toledo wouldn't accept some other course he took at the University of Iowa). This class is online, which is always trouble, because you don't "HAVE" to check everyday. So as you can imagine, he is behind!! Me being the wonderful fiance that I am decided to help him out. I did the 3 labs as he studied to take the 3 tests that were due that night.

(Mind you, when I took chemistry in college I got a D --worst grade EVER!!! So I'm not so sure how much help I was to him!! haha)

Pasta Noodles With A Twist

Yumm!!!

A few nights ago Clayton and I were pacing around trying o figure out what to eat. I finally decided that I was going to use our angel hair and linguini noodles that we have in abundance!! Clayton was less than thrilled when I told him that I was making a "pasta" dish because he wanted MEAT!! So I decided to put a different spin on the noodles. Once they were finished cooking I sprinkled them with ground garlic and a little butter. I then added dices of hard salami (which I had slightly cooked on the stove while making the noodles). To top it off I added provolone cheese...mixed it all together, and WAL LAA!! It was delicious!! ...and EVEN Clayton liked it!!

Dublin, Georgia

Soon we'll be off to Dublin, Georgia!

Father's Day

Awww...my family on Father's Day. We made it a blast by going to Gino's East...yummm!!! Oh how I have missed my Chicago Style Pizza!!! (I'm going to have to have it shipped to me in Georgia...which they do!! as well as Portillos!! Thank God!)

My Temporary Home

My Room!!!


These are some pictures from "my" new bedroom! It is amazing!

Leading up to my room is a staircase (I'm on the 3rd floor) and little hallway with pretty windows and a closet.
Once you enter this is what it looks like from the entrance door (don't pay attention to the blow up mattress...a bed is on it's way and I will post new pictures when I turn it into a cute bedroom!


This picture is of a porch right off to the right from where that entrance door is. Notice the pillars!

This picture is of the staircase in my room that leads to ANOTHER porch off of my room. How amazing!! The door to the left is a closet...there are 2 in my room...and then the one in the hallway. The door to the left is pictured below.















This room is my favorite in the house. Why? Because it's PURPLE!!! my favorite color! It's such a cute room...it is circle and filled with these windows. The ceiling is really high and has a great view of trees and of Glenwood (street).



Isn't this just the cutest?!?!? I can't understand why it's been on the market so long!! ...pass it on, this house is for sale...and is amazing!!

"Georgia On My Mind"...

Yesterday Clayton received the official offer to the company in Georgia!! Woo hoo!! We're moving to Georgia! Clayton is moving down there July 5th and I am moving August 4th! I am so excited! This move is going to be something that we will look back on and be so appreciative of! Being away by ourselves (no family) our first few years of marriage is going to be so helpful and engaging. We will be relying on each other for mostly everything and building an even stronger foundation that what we have now! A plus for being so far away is that we won't have to feel guilty about not stopping by and saying hello or spending time with our families...Because that is pretty much out of the question now! When we do return we will have such a good base that we will be able to handle all of the craziness that all of our families love to offer!!

I'M BACK!!!

Hello world!! I am back! (well kind of, I'm blogging from the Univerity of Toledo's computer lab). I have something wrong with my computer and no one at D-Link or Dell can figure it out!! Ughh! (however, on a good note, last night after being hung up on from India, I finally called back and got ahold of an American!!! Oh it was wonderful! I was able to completely understand what he was saying...for once!!!) Everything boils down to me re-formating my computer for like the 1,000 time since I've owned it! Oh well!

Updates:
*I am living with the Wiley family right now (in the mansion house :-) ). I will post a picture of my room once I get back in business on my own PC.
*Today Clayton and I are going to pick up our new Caliber...it finally shipped!!! woo hoo!
*Clayton was officially offered the job in Georgia!!! So in just a few short weeks I will be a Georgia resident!! (Clayton is moving there on July 5th and I move August 4th).
*The best part about the job move is that they pay for everything!!!! The movers, the move, our trips out there, our food we ate, our first months rent, $1,000 for start-up costs, and tons more...AMAZING!!! I am so thankful that I have such a stellar fiance!

Good News in the Ruff

(The lovely squid we found on the beach at Tybee Island)...random photo, I know!
Anyway,
Ugh! What a day at work! I am getting so sick of being walked all over!! I have spoken up for myself so many times but it gets me no where! I hate to be a little baby and be complaining but every since I have started working at Kingston full-time there have been ridiculous problems (mostly due to pay). I should be thankful that I have a job that does pay (the little that it does) but I can't be when I am told one thing and then it never happens!!! or proper action isn't taken for me (ie: sick days, pay increase, personal days)...yeah basically it all means nothing to my boss once everything is said and done, which is sooo unfair!! I am a full-time employee! Just because I get stuck having to work the crappy hours (nights and weekends) doesn't mean I don't get the same benefits!!! because I'm supposed to!!! Ugh! I swear, 7 more weeks there and I'm DONE!!!

(Just a side note on how GAY Kingston is, my fellow co-worker, Kim, the only person who I can stand there...because she has morals!!! got in huge trouble today by our boss because she had gone up to a nurse and expressed some concern that one of the residents might have a UTI (urinary tract infection). In turn, the bitchy nurse goes to our boss saying that Kim overstepped her boundaries for telling her that....WHAT?!?!!?! ARE YOU EVEN FRICKEN SERIOUS?!?!)

So besides all of the annoyances at work, I got a message today on my cell saying that our new 2007 Dodge Caliber will be shipped from Detroit on Tuesday (meaning it's all built now) and that if we're lucky we may get a same day shipment!) Woo hooo!!

Tybee Island

Clayton and I spent the day in Savannah on Saturday. It was blazing hot!! This will be something I definitely will need to get used to! We went on a carriage ride that took us on a tour of the historical district of Savannah. Our tour guide/horse person was so funny! Her jokes were so stupid that you couldn't help but laugh! We also went on a house tour of the Owen/Thomas house. They had a bridge in it!!! Amazing! I would have posted a picture of it, however, you weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside?!?!

After doing all that you can do in Savannah we drove about 20 miles to Tybee Island which is off of the Atlantic ocean! It was beautiful! The town was so hopping with thriving independently owned businesses and sport shops! At the beach there was a restaurant/bar that welcomed all of the beach groupies! Clayton and I had a lot of fun on the jetties (big rocks that are in the ocean).

$0.70/minute for Internet

So the reason I didn't blog while I was in Georgia was because at the Little Ocmulgee State Park where we stayed they only had dial-up internet for $0.70/minute!!! No way! I would have gone broke posting 1 post!

Now is the time I need to make up for it! The picture to the left shows the spanish moss that covers the trees down south! It actually is really pretty...yet super scary!! Especially at night! Because it looks so creepy!

The picture in the bottom right is me at the river that runs through the state park. Funny enough that there are alligators in that water! Thank goodness we didn't see any!



We did see a Blue Heron.

Singing Sinks...The prelude to the 2 mile hike!

We get off the plane and I have to pee so bad! So Clayton and I separate with intentions to meet back up again. While in the bathroom I hear a deep voice singing "Row row row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream". I'm wondering who the heck is singing this. It continues! Except this time a little higher pitched. By this time I'm wondering what sick person is in this bathroom singing this song? The whole time I'm going to the bathroom I hear the singing (there are small pauses in between singing the song over). Finally I get out and go to the sinks and put my hands by the automatic sensor and the fricken sink starts SINGING!!! It was the sink!!! How weird! I figured that this must have been someone's crazy idea to make you delusional in hopes to make you "like" the Atlanta airport while your walking the 2 mile hike from where the planes drop you off to your baggage!! Grrr! (there are little trains that take you to and from different concourses to baggage, etc. However, if you're not familiar with the airport how the heck would you know where those trains take you?!?!)

Finally we got to our rental car and the county Atlanta is in is called Clayton! How exciting! (maybe it's a sign!)

I HATE PACKING!!!!

Enough said.

Weekend Family Fun

This past weekend my sister Becky and her boyfriend Kalaan came out to Toledo to visit Clayton and I before we take off to wherever we're moving! All of us had a great time. We hung out with our friends Matt and Emily who was due June 4 and still hasn't had the baby. All of us played a few games and just laughed until our faces hurt. We then hit up Mr. Freeze...yumm!! Sunday we went to the Old West End Festival (all of those houses that are the historic mansions!!!) A lot of the houses had garage sales going on and of course, we stopped and looked at most of them. We were at this one house that is 16 bedrooms looking at their garage sale stuff and Becky found this old wooden desk (8ft x 3 ft)...it is HUGE!! All solid wood and it had a design that I swear was identical to the dresser I just got. To make a long story short, Clayton and I bought it and are picking it up tomorrow!!! I'll post a picture once I get it! :-)

New 2007 Dodge Caliber

Clayton and I just went and put our deposit down for the new 2007 Dodge Caliber www.dodge.com/caliber we just ordered! It should be in within 2-3 weeks...hopefully it's here before Clayton takes off and moves to wherever the heck we're moving (for his sake...hopefully it will get here after then so I will have it for the rest of the summer!!) We ordered the black with a sunroof and are having the inside dash custom ordered to orange. (We wanted to order the orange Caliber but they had only the basic models coming in in that color...bummer!!) So anyway, we've decided that this is a tribute to Harley...because he's the most beautiful Weimaraner in the world and his name is Harley...and Harley Davidson colors are orange and black!! :-) we're such dorky parents!!

The Caliber is a hatchback model which is nice because of it allows more room for the dogs!! Yes, we did a lot of the basing for this car off of the dogs because HELLO they are our children!!! And we only want the best for them and to make sure they are comfortable because they are in the car way more than most "normal" dogs! So hopefully this vehicle will work out for all 4 of us! :-)

My Mother

Haha, I just got the funniest call ever!/still on the phone. It went "Stephanie, this is your mother, I just wanted to let you know that there are going to be poisionoius snakes where you are going (Georgia). You are not going to be happy there! Snakes crawling into your bed. While you're walking in your grass they'll come bite you! I'm telling you, you guys need to move back home! You're dad and I went out house shopping, there are homes for you here! You're going to be so far away, nobody is going to be by you, you won't have money to come home ever. You have two dogs, they are going to go crazy, you can't fly them home. You know no one is dying here, you're not getting an inheritance!!" ----"You guys are going to be fighting and won't last. I'm serious you ugys will be in a debt, you wont' last! You're going to have such a rough road to go, you'll be so far away from everybody. You're only 300 miles away now and think of how often you see us now. And then you're going to have my hillbilly grandchildren and they'll be calling me saying grandMA. You know, dad says there are poisinoius snakes, I can't imagine you wanting to be by snakes. You konw they hang out in trees, they'll be hanging down, do you want a snake to bite you? They're going to hang in the trees or in the grass and bite you. You're going to be too far away from everybody, you're going to have a hard time. You're going to be in the middle of nowhere."
And to top it off, they have Clayton at my house with them conning him out of Georgia!!!!
My dad "you're going to be by these houses that haven't had paint on them in 50 years with couches in their front porches" (haha, not much different than parts of Toledo, haha).

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! http://www.foundingfathers.info/American-flag/ Clayton is back in good ol' Illinois because he has a meeting with Richardson Electronics tomorrow about the position they are offering him...uhhh, I don't really want to move back home...so say a prayer that California or Georgia come through!!

Anyway, I kicked it off by going to work...13 days in a row by the end of the week. I just can't get away from there can I? Oh well, I don't mind! When I got out of work I scrurried to Kroger to pick up a dessert to take to the Wiley's house. I found red, white, and blue cupcakes with sprinkles (I knew that this was something Dylan who is 4 would enjoy). So I got home and made the batter and went to grab my cupcake pan and to my surprise (or is it really) it was gone! My roommate who moved out must have taken it thinking it was hers (because she accidently took my 2 circle cake pans also, which I got back) UGHHH!! So I had to use my GYNORMOUS cupcake pans. Needless to say, they looked plump. I decorated them with frosting and sprinkles, packed them up in my cake saver, and sped to Danielle's. By the time I got there, the heat had beat me and made the frosting totally melt. Ohhh they looked so unappetizing! Oh well, Dylan's favorite part was the frosting! Thank goodness!

Besides my bad food, Danielle was sick in bed with none other than food poisioning!! Yuck!! I felt so bad for her! So the kids, Dylan and Max, Michael (their dad), Poppy...Michael's Dad, and Megen (Michael's sister) hung out. We had a great time. It is so great to have such wonderful friends who invited my into their home and made me feel so welcome (like they always do!) Anyway, Dylan and Max are the cutest and funniest kids ever. Granted they are only 4 and not even 1...but I have so much fun with them! They keep me young at my old age of 22! Hehe!!

Michael made these amazing ribs, asparagus, and sweet potatos (the 1st time in my life I have liked sweet potatos, probably because it was like as natural as possible...no marshmallows, 1o0 lbs of butter, and walnuts...gross!). I have made a declaration today that from now on when Clayton makes ribs he MUST use Danielle's mom's recipe because they were just so great!

Now I am laying in bed wanting nothing to do with the huge mess I made while packing stuff up earlier before work! Do I have any takers on wantng to come clean my apartment?!? NO? I didn't think so! :-) Oh well, it will still be there in the morning, no rush!

Furniture - worthy of a post

Livng in Toledo, Ohio for the past 4 years has opened my eyes a lot. I haven't really changed that much, but have adopted many new passions in life. One being antique furniture. Why? Because Toledo has a historal section called the Old West End (where I'm going to be living for 6 weeks!!! --Can't wait!!) The Old West End is the largest neighborhood of late Victorian, Edwardian, and Arts & Crafts homes east of the Mississippi. The houses are just amazing! I have never seen anything like them (and I have traveled to almost all 50 states). I have always dreamed of living in a plantation home (so I guess that's 1 good reason for hoping to move to Georgia) but living here in one of these houses would do! (if we could just eliminate the people who don't contribute anything good!) Anyway, Clayton and I have decided that we want to decorate our house (someday) with all antique furniture that has a story behind each piece.

With all of the moving stuff around my apartment I have taken out my dresser and have put the one I got from my friend Danielle (I talked about it in my last post). It is serioulsy this old, unique, and beautiful piece of furniture. I am just so thrilled because it goes so great with my bed which is a four post bed and has a beautiful headboard and footboard and carvings on the posts. The picture to the left is one of the designs on the dresser and the picture on the right is the design on my bed posts. Don't they go great together?!?
Thanks a million to my friend Danielle and the great garage sale Clayton and I bought my queen sized bed at for $25!!!!

UGHHH!! ....I hate moving

So after pushing around a 250lb man in a 56lb wheelchair through a cemetery
(in grass mind you) and then to a family reunion at Wildwood Park (ummm last time I checked I didn't see this apart of the job description. Oh that's right...it's not!!! The family of this man is from out of town and they are rolling in the dough (not sure if that's how you spell money 'dough' but whatever!! I don't care at this point...my brain is roasting)...anyway, yeah they're rolling in dough and have a tendency to be a little bossy) --thank goodness my boss took me out to Max and Erma's after!! ---anyway, after all of that I finally got home around 5:15pm after being gone since 9:20 this morning, I decided to take advantage of the fact that Clayton and the dogs are home in Illinois this weekend...so it was perfect timing for me to start packing like a Nazi. I was rearranging stuff, getting stuff ready for the garage sale, or getting it ready to give to people. And yes, I am getting rid of EVERYTHING!!! I am barely keeping anything. I want it all gone so I don't have to clean anymore.
I swear it is so dang hot in this apartment I have been sweating bullets since starting. But on the positive side, I probably lost 5lbs. So my tip of the day...Don't' accumulate stuff!!! You'll regret it later, or when you move!!
...but on a totally positive note, the family I babysit for (Danielle...I mentioned her in my last post) had this really cool old fashion/antique mahogany dresser for sale at her last garage sale which I got and I finally (about a month later) put it in my room and it matches stellar with my bed!! oh I'm excited!!

What a day! I worked at the nursing home(Kingston Care Center: http://www.kingstonhealthcare.com) from 8-4pm then went tanning quickly (because I do NOT have any time to sit and relax outside!!!) and then went to babysit for the cutest and funnies kids ever.

(p.s. that picture was taken on fashion day--I dressed up as an 80's aerobic instructor, HOT STUFF!!)

My old folk friends...are just so adorable yet deviant. I was setting up for Bingo today (a Saturday afternoon tradition...that must NEVER be broken, under penalty of death), and the little old ladies are chatting as if they "really really" knew each other. The one lady was talking about her daughter and the other was talking about her son. Well the lady with the son was saying that "everybody" knows the other ladies daughter, because she gets around and blah blah...ummm sooo hilarious!! These ladies are in the upper 80's and 90's. I was almost peeing my pants laughing so hard. I couldn't believe my ears.

Also while playing Bingo one of the players couldn't really hear the numbers that I was calling so she kept saying "what?", "repeat that?", "G 1?" and a different player was getting so mad!!! She started yelling at the one player every single time she said "huh?" Oh my gosh, it was so funny but it also put me in a weird position!! Because how the heck do you tell a 85 year old that she can't get mad that someone her own age can't hear!!! Plain and simple...you gotta love the elderly!! :-)

On a totally different note, (back to the younger generations!!) this family I babysit for has like honestly the most AWESOME house in the world! It's apart of the historical Old West End in Toledo, Ohio and is absoutley humongous!!! (it's for sale too... http://daniellewiley.com/house/...if only we were staying in Ohio!!!) Anyway, Danielle (the mom) is way awesome and offered for me to live on their 3rd floor for the rest of the summer (because I can't sign a lease for 5-6 weeks and Clayton will be gone in who knows where with a job -- hopefully *fingers crossed). I just couldn't believe it!! This family totally rocks and is sooo beyond nice!!! Yeah Wiley's, I love you guys!!! :-)